


There's A Reason It's Called Liquid Courage

by ProblematicFavesAreProblematic (SaritaNotSerena)



Category: Band of Brothers (TV 2001)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:13:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28182960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaritaNotSerena/pseuds/ProblematicFavesAreProblematic
Relationships: Bull Randleman/Reader
Kudos: 5





	There's A Reason It's Called Liquid Courage

Bull Randleman x Reader

**Summary:** After a night of (responsible) drinking, Bull decides to let you know just how seriously he takes your budding relationship.

_~~**(it’s literally a blurb and a half, sorry fam)** ~~ _

“I told you I didn’t drink, stop laughing at me!”

y/n felt her frown deepen as Denver “It’s Basically Water'' Randleman clutched at his stomach in what a casual observer might describe as a bout of laughter. 

But for anyone who knew him, he was in stitches. In fact, Y/N wasn't sure she’d ever seen him like this. 

And she would’ve savored the opportunity to witness it, if it had been at the expense of anyone other than herself.

[[MORE]]

“There’s a difference between ‘ _I don't drink_ ’ and ‘i _f alcohol so much as_ ** _touches_** _my tongue I’m going to spit it out into Lewis Nixon’s face_ ’—”

“— _I_ didn’t know he’d taken the liberty of spiking my tea, _it’s a natural reaction!”_

But it was no use, Bull had already lost himself into another fit of bellowing laughter. This time, she didn't have the heart to glare at him, instead finding herself smiling at the rare moment of open joy from the most reckless man she’d ever met.

There’d been plenty of reasons to smile today: no one had died, no cars had massive mechanical issues, and most importantly- she’d been given a chance to use the shower in the home they’d assigned to her. 

Her hair didn't seem to be getting thinner anymore and she certainly noticed less hair falling out when she finger combed it, but she still hadn’t menstruated. 

While being closer to towns meant that she had access to food more steadily than any of the frontline men, she still had dropped a significant amount of weight.

She doubted that was helping matters in the lack of period department.

Her mother had told her about what stress could do to a body, but even then Y/N felt like the woman had withheld the more graphic details. _If only I could ask her,_ Y/N thought ruefully. _See if what’s happening to me is normal or not. if I will be okay…_

Eventually, Bull had stopped laughing, and they had fallen into their usual comfortable silence. He'd smoked two cigarettes before he spoke again, and when he did his voice was quiet.

“I’d like to talk to you about something.”

turning to face him a bit more, she only hesitated for a moment before nodding. He watched her with careful eyes, and a bit of anxiety dripped into her stomach.

He cleared his throat a couple of times before looking out over her shoulder, and working his jaw. “I was wondering if you'd be willing to help me with some paperwork later.”

That threw her for a loop. She squinted, tilting her head to the side.

“You want... _help_ _with paperwork?_ ”

“Yeah.”

“ _My_ help?”

“Yes.”

“Is it... _mechanical_ paperwork?”

he sighed, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face. “No, what? _No_. It’s social security stuff.”

“Oh, _huh_ …” she trails off, growing more confused than ever. A stray thought catches her attention, and for a moment her heart flutters nervously. “Do you want me to not look at you?”

(It was a system the two of them had come up with back in Toccoa, when she’d had to give him the bad news that his letters had been confiscated and destroyed after Sobel dubbed them as contraband. Y/N had been anxious, not wanting to see the hurt and disappointment mar his handsome face. He’d initially offered to look away from her as a joke, yet it had soon lost any of its humor as time went on.)

He nods, looking down like he’s ashamed that he can’t _just say_ whatever it is he’s trying to say.

“Alright,” she says, turning on her bottom so he can only see her profile. Staring at the wall in front of her, she sighs and waits for him to talk.

“I need to change the name of the person who gets my pension, if anything happens.”

 _Oh,_ she thought, trying to keep her face from showing her surprise. She hadn’t expected that. they’d never talked about that sort of thing.

She hums a sound for him to go on, mentally trying to figure out where he was going with this request.

“I want you to get it, or at least some of it.”

_What._

_“What?”_ she gasped, whipping her head to look at him.

“ _Hey.”_ he snapped in return, narrowing his eyes and pointing in the direction she’d been looking in. “Eyes that way, woman!”

With a quick glare, she turns back to look away, choosing her next words carefully. “Why?”

“Why? Why what?”

Y/N doesn't bother to hide her eye roll, taking an exasperated deep breath and working to keep her voice from going pitchy. “ _Jesus_ , Den! How about; why me, huh? Why not Luz or charity or some nurse called Dottie you met before you shipped out? And why _now_? Nothing’s happened, right? So, why would you even be thinking of something like that?”

“In order?” he asks snarkily, and from the corner of her eyes she sees him lift up his hands to count off her questions. “Because I want to, because Luz would spend it on something stupid with Perco _,_ and I don't know any nurses named Dottie- and even if I did I wouldn't pick her anyways. _And…_ ” he hesitates, and it’s a few moments before he speaks again. 

When he does, his voice is so low she feels it more than hears it. 

“ _And it’s_ ** _because_** _nothing has happened lately that I’m thinking about this, Y/N.”_

 _Oof_. Leave it to Bull to save up all his pretty words for her and then dump them on her all at once. He couldn’t just hold her hand or make up excuses to see her, he had to go and bring legal documents into the equation- as well as making her feel all soft and mushy for him.

She looks down at her hands, and within seconds Bull takes her hands in his and scoots over so she can see him. When she looks at him again she can’t help the sad smile that crosses her face.

“You’re probably never going to tell me why you picked me, are you Mr. Randleman?”

Her voice is sad, but she knows he understands why. 

He knows they aren’t just talking about the life insurance change.

Pressing a kiss on her interwoven fingers, he holds her gaze with steadfast resolve.

“Probably not, no. You’re right.”

She let it hang there, waiting to see how it felt to hear him admit that much. Well, if he was willing to risk her rejecting him, the least she could do was reward his courage. 

As quickly as she could she brought her hands up to hold his face while she ducked a quick kiss on his lips, her heart skipping a beat at the sound of surprise coming from in the back of his throat.

As she pulled away she stood up, smiling down at his reddening cheeks and wide eyes. 

_What was that for?_ he seemed to ask, clearly having not expected her to have that response to his confirmation.

She shrugged, rolling her shoulders and adapting a pensive look. 

“I suppose I find honesty more attractive than I thought.”

With a softer smile, she studies him one final time before turning and heading for the door.

“I didn’t ‘ _pick you_ ’, you know.” He calls, and she stops with her hand on the doorknob. “it wasn’t...it’s _not_ like that.”

She looks over her shoulder at him, a warm feeling coming over her as he eyed her softly.

“Then what _is_ it like?”

“It just _is_ ,” he says simply, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. 

Grinning stupidly, she has the decency to blush and look away. Smooth son of a bitch.

“Good night, Bull Randleman”

“Good night, Y/F/N.”

With a good-natured huff, she shakes her head and opens the door, letting the warm air of the house swallow her in darkness.


End file.
